Moo Deng

Moo Deng was born on 10 July 2024 to parents Jonah and Tony. Her name was chosen through a public poll, with over 20,000 people voting for "Moo Deng", translating to "bouncy pork".[3]

Khao Kheow Open Zoo posted images of its hippopotamuses on its official Facebook page, and Moo Deng quickly became a favorite among fans.[4] Moo Deng is noted to be more playful and energetic than other hippopotamuses. In response to her popularity, the zoo announced that it would sell clothing and other merchandise featuring designs based on Moo Deng.[3][5] Other companies have produced merchandise based on Moo Deng, including a cake shop called Vetmon Cafe, which created a realistic cake shaped like her.[6] Additionally, Sephora posted a makeup tutorial inspired by her.[7][8] Moo Deng has become the subject of many pieces of fan art.[9]

Moo Deng in September 2024 Species Pygmy hippopotamus Sex Female Born 10 July 2024 (age 2 months) Khao Kheow Open Zoo, Chonburi, Thailand

Due to Moo Deng's viral online popularity, the number of daily visitors to the zoo doubled in early September 2024.[7] Some visitors harassed Moo Deng by splashing her with water[8][10] and throwing objects at her to wake her up. As a result, the Khao Kheow Open Zoo installed security cameras around her enclosure and the zoo's director threatened legal action against visitors who harassed her.[11][12][13] The harassment of Moo Deng by visitors has been widely condemned online.[14][15] Additionally, the zoo implemented a five-minute time limit for visitors to see Moo Deng to accommodate the high volume of visitors.